


Dignified Sense

by KagekaNecavi



Category: due South
Genre: F/F, M/M, Non-Linear Narrative, Post-Canon, Pride
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-15
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-09-18 10:36:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16993446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KagekaNecavi/pseuds/KagekaNecavi
Summary: Ray knows that Fraser isn’t ashamed of them, of what they have, but there’s a huge difference between ‘not ashamed’ and ‘going to Pride together.’





	Dignified Sense

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sybarite1](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sybarite1/gifts).



> Thanks much to my beta, [cloudyjenn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cloudyjenn), who read over this for me despite having never seen due South. More notes, vaguely spoilery, at the end.

The first they see of Kowalski after the Canada thing is a photo in the paper in June. He’s in the middle of a crowd and he’s wearing a shirt that is only printable because Kowalski’s hand is blocking most of it. It says, clear despite the fact that his hand and the thick glasses he’s holding are blocking part of it, “Queer as in Fuck You.” Next to him, smudged and fuzzy like he’s in motion but very clearly with his hand on Kowalski’s shoulder and looking fairly happy, is Benton Fraser. Upon close inspection there’s also the white fuzz of Diefenbaker peeking out in the gaps of the crowd.

The title for the article associated with the picture is “Chicago’s 31st Pride Parade Brings Record Turnout.”

 

* * *

 

“We got back to Chicago just in time for Pride,” Fraser says a few days after they’re back, “would you like to go?”

Ray has his turtle out of the tank and is cleaning the tank. The bedding needs changing and he’s wiping down the whole thing with some fancy habitat cleaner his landlady left him. She’d been taking care of the apartment while they were in Canada and gave him a scolding about proper pet care when they got back. Fraser, the fink, had been quietly amused about it the whole time. Every so often he has to shoo Dief away. Ray’s not sure if Dief is just being curious or if he wants attention too. It takes him a moment to realize what he just heard.

“You wanna go to Pride?” Ray looks up, nudging Dief away from the turtle habitat as he does. Dief sneezes a little and Ray mutters, “That’s what you get for sniffing the cleaning shit, buddy.”

Out of the corner of his eye Ray sees Fraser give a little smile at Ray interacting with Dief. After a moment Fraser says, “Yes, Ray, I want to go to Pride.”

He puts down the cleaning supplies and goes over to where Fraser is sitting on the couch with the newspaper. There’s an article there about Pride, clearly where Fraser got the idea to go from. Ray knows that Fraser isn’t ashamed of them, of what they have, but there’s a huge difference between ‘not ashamed’ and ‘going to Pride together.’ Ray is the sort of person who is unapologetically himself most of the time, and he knows Fraser is a lot more buttoned up most of the time. He puts a hand on Fraser’s knee as he speaks. “We don’t have to - I’d be fine with not going.”

And he would be. He’s been to Pride more times than not since he realized he’s bisexual, and he remembers telling Fraser about how good it feels to be around other people that he knows understand him. But he’d be fine with not going this year if Fraser isn’t comfortable with it. But Fraser constantly surprises him, and this is no different.

“I know. But I want to. You’ve told me that you enjoy going and I want to experience that with you,” Fraser puts his hand over Ray’s, stroking the back with a thumb, and heat starts pooling in Ray’s gut. He smiles and leans in to kiss Fraser and they spend a good portion of the morning kissing and necking like teenagers.

 

* * *

 

They’re the talk of the precinct for weeks, and there is money exchanged somewhere along the way, though Welsh ignores that and tries to keep people from gossiping too much. For the most part, people are trying to figure out how long Kowalski and Fraser were together, or if this is a new development. The consensus seems to be that either it is a new thing or that they got together after the whole mess with the sunken ship.

Oddly, Francesca is mostly silent about everything, which just brings more attention to her. The general assumption is that in her time pretending that Kowalski was her brother she must have found out something about him. Either that or Fraser told her to try to get her to get over her gigantic crush.

 

* * *

 

Benton doesn’t expect to see anyone they know at Pride. He certainly doesn’t expect to see Francesca Vecchio and Elaine Besbriss there. And he most certainly doesn’t expect to see them standing thirty feet away, loosely and casually draped together. Elaine sees Benton and Ray first and her arm tightens across Francesca’s waist. She leans in and appears to whisper in Francesca’s ear and then Francesca is looking up and around, waving enthusiastically when she sees them.

He looks at Ray, to see Ray watching some drag queens down the road. Ray looks intrigued, and Benton wonders fleetingly if there are any photos from his time undercover at St. Fortunata, but he puts the idea out of his mind in favor of bringing Elaine and Francesca to Ray’s attention. He taps Ray’s shoulder and nods towards them, and Ray grins wide.

“Frannie!!” Ray shouts, jogging over to them and enveloping them both in a wide hug. When they pull back, Diefenbaker runs over and demands attention from them. He’s clearly missed their Chicago friends as much as Ray and Benton have. When Benton gets there, he offers his hand to both Francesca and Elaine and while Elaine takes it, Francesca rolls her eyes and hugs him.

Ray wraps an arm around his waist when Francesca pulls back, their pose mirroring Elaine and Francesca’s. It’s loud and noisy around them, and hard to have a conversation, but Ray and Francesca manage it.

“When did you two get back?” Francesca asks, smiling wide. She looks really happy.

“Like a week ago? Not long,” Ray says, glancing at Benton for confirmation. It’s been closer to a week and a half, but he nods. It’s close enough.

Francesca gives them a grin that gets Benton a little flustered and says, “Interesting that I haven’t heard anything about that yet. Are you two just staying at home for a bit?”

It’s true, and that makes Benton even more embarrassed, but Ray just grins back at her, “Interesting that I haven’t heard anything about you two,” he nods at them, “Is this something that’s recent or are you keeping it from Mama Vecchio?”

Before Francesca can start yelling at Ray - which she looks like she’s gearing up to do - Elaine gives her a squeeze and asks, “So how about we go get dinner later, the four of us?”

“Five of us,” Ray reaches down and pats Dief on the side, “But yeah, sounds great.”

They decide on a time and place and then split up again. As they walk away, still close, Ray says in Benton’s ear, “I’m glad Frannie’s crush on you is gone.”

Benton flushes a little and says, “She and Elaine seemed happy. I’m glad they’re happy.”

“That, too,” Ray says, shrugging a little. But Benton can tell he really is happy for them. He’s happy, too, and after a moment of thought he leans in and kisses Ray. It takes Ray a moment to kiss back, betraying his surprise, but when he kisses back it’s enthusiastically.

After a moment Dief noses at Benton’s hand to get his attention. Benton ignores him until Ray makes a little ‘oof’ and pulls back, glaring at Diefenbaker. “Why did you just headbutt me in the groin you stupid dog?”

Dief runs off to where there’s a fried food stand, and Benton sighs. “I suppose we have to go buy him a donut now.”

“Before he terrorizes them into just giving him free food,” Ray agrees with a laugh. They separate a little, but remain arm-in-arm as they catch up with Dief.

**Author's Note:**

> Title comes from part of dictionary.com's definition of ["Pride"](https://www.dictionary.com/browse/pride) \- specifically the  
> third portion, "a becoming or dignified sense of what is due to oneself or one's position or character; self-respect; self-esteem."
> 
> I’m not sure when/where the phrase “not gay as in happy, queer as in fuck you” originated, but let’s pretend it was early enough to include in a fic taking place nearly 20 years ago. Per [wikipedia, Chicago Pride was first organized in 1970](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Pride_Parade), and according to Wikipedia there was a jump of 100,000 people in attendance, from 250,000 to 350,000 between 1999 and 2000. This could be due to a genuine jump in attendance or it could be due to some kind of under/overestimation in attendance during one of those years.


End file.
